A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION
by SolitaryHawk
Summary: [BW] Six months... That's how long the Maximals have been stuck on this primitive world and it is not a thing that Dinobot is taking well. Heading off on his own, he's captured by his old comrades and meets an inexpected ally. COMPLETE.
1. Part One

A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION – Part One of Two

* * *

The following characters are the property of Transformers Production Company, Inc.

Originally written in 1997. Rewritten and posted in 2007 by SolitaryHawk.

_This story takes place sometime during BEAST WARS - Season One._

* * *

Lurking far back in the shadows of their ruined ship, the Predacons milled nervously together in a silent, trembling band like a herd of deer bracing themselves against a growing storm.

Terrorsaur elbowed their second-in-command in the back and hissed over his shoulder, "Well? Go see what's wrong with him."

His pincers clattering in nervous tension, Scorponok grunted, "Why me?"

"You're his Second, idiot," Blackarachnia snapped and then released a resentful snort, "'though I can't understand why." Behind her Tarantulas tittered agreement to his lithe companion's observation. He slid the tip of his claw up one smooth thigh as he murmured, "Sarcastic as well as lovely..."

She batted away his ardent groping and fixed him with a livid glare. "Go play with your webs."

New to the team and still not completely integrated into their ranks, Inferno puzzled over what was being said before shaking his head in confusion. "Do not understand... Why is the Royalty angry? What did we do?"

"_We_ didn't do anything," Terrorsaur told him, almost adding; _At least not lately, anyway_. "He's been brooding for the last week."

"Ohhh, Wazzpinator hatez it when he broodz," the insect Flyer said in a muted buzz and they all fell silent in mutual consent.

Suddenly, like a rumble of thunder, came the call: "Scorponok."

"You're up," Blackarachnia said and both her and Terrorsaur shoved him from behind, almost toppling him off of the platform. "Awright, awright! I'm goin'," he muttered, summoning a lift for himself and ascending to the hulking form who was silently considering a computer screen from his command chair. He had been sullenly staring at it for hours. "Yes, Megatron?"

The immense Predacon leader said nothing as he scowled down at the monitor. He was replaying their past battles with the Maximals over and over and Scorponok's anxiety doubled when he realized just who his leader seemed to be concentrating on the most. "Is, ah, everything alright?"

"We have been on this world for six lunar cycles to this day," came the bass rumble. "The Beast Wars never should have gone on this long, no. I want you to bring me something. Consider it an anniversary present."

"What do you want?"

A screen capture was displayed on the monitor and swiveled towards Scorponok. The gray second-in-command swallowed audibly and resumed his anxious clattering of his large claws when he saw just whom his leader had singled out.

"Bring me _him_," Megatron ordered.

* * *

With precise deliberation, the black knight toppled the white king piece and settled triumphantly into the square. Optimus Primal was unsuccessful in smothering a groan even has his opponent announced the obvious: "Checkmate!"

"I see that."

Dinobot flashed him a grin that was all teeth and little humor. It was about as friendly as his smiles got. "It appears we have a tie."

"Prime," the Maximal said with a marked lack of enthusiasm. "One more time around?"

"Indeed," the warrior said and watched intently while the other replaced the chess pieces on the board, his shrewd mind already contemplating numerous strategies.

The two were alone in Optimus' spacious quarters, quite possibly the most pleasant and relaxed place on the ship. Early afternoon sunbeams slanted in through the front windows, lighting the quarters with a bright gold radiance that was a reminder that not all weather on this harsh world were energon storms and blizzards. There were some truly beautiful days to see and this looked to be one of them. Even Dinobot seemed to notice. He looked away from the board towards the windows and considered the view for a moment. Optimus caught a rare glimpse of the former-Predacon's face without its usual tension and debated an issue he had been meaning to bring up for some time now. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Would it matter if I said no?" came the expected answer.

"Probably not."

Dinobot offered him a half-shrug in surrender as he turned back to the game, barely paying the Maximal commander any interest. He was about to make the first move when Optimus asked, "Have you given any thought about Cybertron?"

The soldier's outstretched hand visibly spasmed at the mere mention of their home world. He pulled it back and glowered at the other. "Why would you ask me that?"

"You've been a Maximal for six months, you've become an invaluable member of this crew. A few months ago you chose to stay behind on this world rather than come back with us to Cybertron. I'd like to know if your decision has changed."

His nails rapping an absent staccato on the armrest of the chair, Dinobot betrayed a longing glance at the door, obviously regretting the decision to stay for a tiebreaker. "I haven't given the matter much thought," he said as his answer.

"I know you too well to believe that-"

"You don't know me at all."

"What are you scared of?" Optimus persisted.

"Fear has nothing to do with my decision!" Dinobot snapped back. "I simply will not be punished by Cybertron for following the orders I had been given by my superior. I have told you this before, Optimus Primal: I am Predacon despite our alliance. I am here now simply because my contempt for you pales in comparison to my hatred of Megatron." He visibly tensed once the words were out knowing of the Maximal's temper and prepared to defend himself against it.

He needn't have worried. Optimus was practically smiling when he said, "I don't believe that either. If you had stayed by Megatron's side, the Predacons would have crushed us the first day we crashed here and claimed this world without a fight. There would have been no Beast Wars, no power struggle. You may have come to us to settle a personal grudge but, as I've said, it's been six months and here you still are. I think you're here because you want to be."

Dinobot released a low snarl and crossed his muscular arms as he settled back in the chair. "Ridiculous."

Nodding to himself, Optimus considered the chess set for a moment. "This is a human game."

"Yes, I know that."

"The Autobots brought it back with them after the Great War with the Decepticons. All these centuries have passed and Maximals still play the game. Do Predacons play chess?"

Dinobot's talons rapped on his bicep as he tried to figure out the Maximal's train of thought. Even though the chess set was being ignored, he knew another game was presently going on and decided to proceed cautiously. "...No."

"Because it was a human concept. Since they lost the Great War due to the human interference, the Decepticon Military Council outlawed all Earth information and customs to ever be allowed among their population. That includes the Predacons to this very day."

Dinobot's eyes narrowed down to a spiteful squint at the reminder of that humiliating defeat. "Yes."

Optimus was back to looking down at the chess pieces. "So why did you learn this game?" When he got no answer he tried again, "It's a simple question; Why bother to study something you knew you would never be able to play?"

Back to fidgeting again, Dinobot answered coldly, "I was merely curious."

"That's not the only Maximal thing you know," Optimus said. "You're also familiar with our database and technology and you know more about Maximal culture than you're willing to admit. You've been studying us as a hobby."

"It was my responsibility to study the enemy," Dinobot corrected him.

"It may have started out as that but it became something more, didn't it?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Taking a deep breath, Optimus explained rationally, "Considerations of honor and trust and loyalty; these are Maximal traits and yet you possess them. Face facts, Dinobot, you couldn't go back to being a Predacon even if you wanted to-"

Dinobot abruptly stood up. The knee guard to his right leg caught on the corner of the chessboard and toppled it, sending pieces scattering across the floor. He towered threateningly over the Maximal, an opposing figure of gold and blue chrome. The sunlight caught the silver bone attributes to his armor and flashed it back in sullen yellow rays. The tan camouflage scaling along his immense arms rippled as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

"I'm going on patrol," he suddenly announced, flashing Optimus a withering glare as he turned and stormed out of the room.

Optimus caught up to him in the corridor outside of the control room and hauled the warrior to an unceremonial stop. It took an effort. Dinobot was more than just upset, he was brilliantly furious. "I don't want you storming out of the ship looking to fight with the first target you see! I just want you to think about what I said. All right?"

"No promises," the larger bot snarled and yanked his arm free. Optimus let him leave and helplessly trailed behind while his mind searched desperately for a way to keep the livid soldier on the base before he went and did something rash. He ran into his back when Dinobot came to a sudden stop at the entrance to the control room. Peering around his considerable bulk, Optimus saw Rattrap and Cheetor standing on top of the oval control table attempting to string up a banner.

Cheetor noticed the sudden attention and distinctly muttered, "Busted."

"Scrape-ape," Rattrap greeted cheerfully, completely unbothered. "You and Dinoboob there usually take longer to play your game. We wanted to get this up and surprise you." He and Cheetor unfurled the banner, which read: "AXELON: BOLDLY GOING NOWHERE"

"He made me help him," Cheetor said in lame defense, grunting as the shorter Maximal elbowed him in the side. Sitting off to the side and engrossed in some cyber-novel, Rhinox offered an indifferent shrug to his superior. He had obviously given up on the matter and let the two adventures have their fun.

"What's going on here?" Optimus demanded.

"It's party time!" Rattrap told him. "Look, we've been holed up on this rock for six months, Optimus. Six months! A guy's gotta let off a little steam now and then and I say we've all earned it. C'mon, what'dya say?"

Optimus instinctively looked to the oldest member of the crew for guidance and wasn't assured by the amused look Rhinox passed his way. "Why not? It might be good for morale."

Dinobot shook his head in bewilderment as he stomped towards the elevator. "Madness," Optimus heard him grumble under his breath.

As ever, Rattrap took notice of the soldier's foul mood and couldn't pass up the chance to aggravate him even more. "Hey, chopper-face," he called out, "How many Preds does it take to change a light bulb?"

"Rattrap, not now!" Optimus barked. Rhinox immediately caught that hard note to the Maximal commander's voice and looked at him curiously. Sparing him a glance, the commander minutely shook his head; _not now_.

Hesitating in mid step, Dinobot turned and scowled at the Maximal in confusion.

"The answer is: None!" Rattrap announced happily. "They all killed each other fighting over the chance to do it!" He burst out laughing, oblivious to the fact that he was the only one sharing in the humor and that Cheetor was making a hasty retreat, leaving his friend alone on the table.

Optimus readied himself for the inevitable brawl as Dinobot cleared the distance to where the diminutive Maximal was still chuckling. Standing on the table, he and the warrior were now almost eye-to-eye. "Tell me, vermin; What do Predacons call Maximals who have been intimate with less than ten females?" In the same breath, Dinobot answered, "Virgins. So I do not see any reason for _you_ to be laughing."

Jaws dropped all around the room, including Rattrap's who could scarcely believe the timing of the joke (or the accuracy), and issued a series of indignant sputters. Dinobot took his leave but not before adding his characteristic snort of amusement which was about as close as he came to laughter.

"Son of a bot," Rattrap muttered after he'd left.

* * *

The amusement dried up as soon as the elevator lift dropped to the ground and Dinobot transformed into his velociraptor guise. He stalked away from the huge ship while his mind replayed the very end of his conversation with Optimus: _Face facts, Dinobot, you couldn't go back to being a Predacon even if you wanted to._

An each time he considered the statement, he felt compelled to add the question: _Did he want to?_

Yes! He was a career soldier dedicated to serving the Predacon Empire.

... No. He had turned his back on his breed the instant he became a Maximal.

He was a Predacon.

A Maximal.

Soldier.

Traitor.

"Gah!" he rasped, shaking his head as if that action could silence the doubts that plagued him. It was not his nature to second-guess himself. Once he made a decision he stood by it and rarely gave the matter another thought. He tried to rationalize the catalyst of this entire internal debate: Serving Megatron had become an impossible task so he had allied himself with the only other force available on this world.

The enemy.

The logic had been sound. To stand alone would have ensured his destruction.

_But to the enemy-!_

"What's done is done," he told himself out loud, clambering up the nearest rise. He spent a lot of his time prowling the surrounding territory, investigating the mountains and buttes and various landmarks that had evolved here over the ages. He considered the Maximal ship from his elevated perspective for a long moment and then boldly turned his back on the sight.

Ever since his decision to remain behind, he had spent more and more time outdoors than residing within the safety of the Maximal vessel. Deep down he knew it would only be a matter of time before Cybertron managed a successful rescue attempt to retrieve their lost Maximals and Dinobot still had no intension of returning to the home world with them. To be captured as a Predacon criminal was one thing. He could have endured that notoriety. A stint in a Maximal detention center? He rolled his eyes at the thought. He had landed himself in a Predacon stockade for insubordination before. He highly doubted that Maximals could conceive the punishments that he had endured for _that_ infraction. After serving a sentence for his crime with the golden disk, he would have still been able to return to his battalion. Shamed, perhaps, but still a loyal Predacon soldier.

_But to be regarded as a Maximal sympathizer-!_ There was no returning to the Predacon military after being identified as a turncoat. Maximals would regard him as a pariah. Attempts would be made on his life; such as it would be. Returning to Cybertron now only meant a death sentence and he knew it.

There was no going back for him. This world was his home now, like it or not.

That understanding didn't ease his brooding, it just made it worse. In all honesty, he deeply respected Optimus. And the others... well, compared to the treacherous backstabbing actions of his Predacon peers, Dinobot considered them a competent, albeit boring, group. Even Rattrap's constant sniping was nothing more than a minor distraction, and not even wholly unwanted. If not for at least one bot to bicker with, he would have probably gone completely mad with boredom by now.

He would... miss them. There. That was the crux of his present dilemma. One that was tearing him apart because he could never voice it out loud. A Maximal sentiment. Intolerable!

He snapped his jaws at the empty air in frustration and decided to go on a hunt. Maybe a kill would lessen his rage and dispel some of the doubts that nagged him. He was determined to kill everything in the surrounding area if that was what it took to shake these irritating thoughts. It was considered standard stress management for Predacons. Not the most logical of solutions, but one that had worked for him in the past. He was determined to make it work for him again.

When he saw a shadow pass by on his left he felt his anger intensify. Not even bothering to look up, he growled out; "Stop pestering me, Optimus, or I swear I will-"

"You will what?" squawked a cold voice directly above him. It was one he recognized immediately and before he could confront the source the ground beside him exploded.

Dinobot feinted to the side and transformed in mid-leap, catching a glimpse of Terrorsaur as he dove for cover. He was actually grinning when he pulled his sword free of its spine sheathe and readied his lasers. _Target practice!_ He was starting to line up for a shot when the rocks he was crouched beside were blown apart-

- by a shot from behind.

Turning, he saw Waspinator and Inferno hovering above him, weapons drawn and looking unusually smug. On other side of him, Scorponok and Tarantulas crawled out of their hiding spots. Dinobot was clearly in their sights but no one fired. "What is this...?"

"It's time to return home, traitor," Scorponok grunted.

"Megatron sent all of you to retrieve me," Dinobot realized. "I'm flattered."

"You'll be scrap if you don't surrender right now," the Predacon snarled. Dinobot knew his former ally well and caught that unmistakable tremor to the scorpion's demand meaning that the threat was a ruse. Megatron no doubt wanted him intact and functioning for his return trip. He decided to test the limits of that command.

Scorponok gulped as he suddenly became the sole target for the now-charging warrior. He fired just a faction too late. Sprinting up the slope with a challenging roar, Dinobot leaped into the air and dropped on the second-in-command with all of his considerable weight. He derived a haughty satisfaction as he heard the identifiable crunch of the servos in the Predacon's spine, but he didn't linger as the Flyers began closing in.

He ran.

Tarantulas was about to give chase when he visibly hesitated, glaring back at his companion. "What are you waiting for? He's getting away!"

"I'll sit this one out," Blackarachnia sneered. "It looks like a guy thing anyway."

"Just as well. It doesn't really involve you anyway. This is personal," the arachnid told her and left to join his peers.

"Macho idiot," she hissed after him but after a moment she decided to follow, betrayed by her own voracious curiosity.

Dinobot narrowly evaded a volley of Waspinator's missiles and slapped his chest plate, activating his communicator. "Dinobot to base. Come in!" All he got back was a shrill whine of static. These mountains were riddled with energon deposits and made communication an impossibility. He was on his own.

It was just how he wanted it.

There was a crazed scream from over head and the warrior slid to a halt when Inferno landed directly in his path. The huge fire ant had his weapon trained on him; it could serve as a flamethrower as well as become an effective assault weapon and he enjoyed using it. Perhaps a little too much. Dinobot had yet to observe any other skills to the Flyer than marksmanship and viewed his dependence on the weapon as a possible weakness. Inferno had not been part of the original Predacon crew to crash here and Dinobot could only gather sparse intel whenever the two clashed. It seemed the immense insect was content to rely solely on brute ferocity to achieve his goals, probably since it had worked so well for him so far. He was certainly an intimidating sight and he had dethroned Dinobot as the second-largest Predacon next to Megatron himself. That observation only fueled the warrior's rage even more.

"I have you in my sights now, traitor," the insect declared smugly.

"Shoot him!" Terrorsaur urged from above.

Damned if Inferno didn't drop his guard and look up at the Flyer in confusion. Dinobot couldn't believe his good fortune.

"But... the Royalty said no damage," Inferno said with clear uncertainty. When he glanced back, the traitor in his sights had cleared most of the distance between them. He held his weapon up directly in the other's face but he was clearly drawn between his loyalty to Megatron and the pressure from his peers. Dinobot decided to use the apparent indecision to his advantage. He looked up, fixating on a target over Inferno's left shoulder and shouted: "Leave him to me, Optimus! He's mine!"

Inferno whirled, instinctively firing in apparent self-defense even before he had identified the target. A smoldering body smashed to the ground but it was no Maximal. Terrorsaur regarded his perforated torso in complete disbelief. "You _idiot-!"_ he managed to get out before he collapsed.

Realizing he had been tricked, Inferno turned back just in time for Dinobot's fist to smash through his mouth and exit the back of his head. The warrior barely had the time to bring the unconscious body around as a makeshift shield when Waspinator and Tarantulas started shooting. _So much for Megatron's orders..._ The fire ant was tall but deceptively lean and Dinobot grunted as a projectile grazed his side from trying to unsuccessfully hide his bulk behind the insect's slim body. He threw him away with a shrug and pulled out his own shield, nearly knocked to his knees from the assault on the spinning blades. He backed up slowly from the barrage, wondering how he was going to get out of this predicament when his right foot stepped out into empty space.

"Slag," he muttered, sparing a desperate glance over his left shoulder. The mountain face that protected his back continued on but the ledge he was standing in, didn't. He heard laughter above him and saw Tarantulas clinging to the rock face. A cradle of cyberwebs filled the gap between the ledge and Dinobot knew from experience what it would mean if he got himself snared in that trap.

"You're finished," Tarantulas said, and tittered in amusement. "Surrender and transform."

Dinobot sheathed his weapons but did nothing more. He silently looked down the abyss beyond the ledge as he considered his few options.

"Now!" Tarantulas demanded.

"Ohh, Waszpinator'z getting pizzed!" the Flyer droned ominously, his green body vibrating in fear and rage.

Blackarachnia appeared beside Tarantulas and released a snort of irritation. "Morons," she condemned. "I'll handle this."

"What?" Tarantulas snapped. "No- don't-"

She targeted Dinobot and activated her spinnerets before her companion could stop her. A sturdy cable of cyberwebbing burst from her body with the intention of snaring him and ending this stalemate once and for all. Dinobot snatched it in a firm grip just as he launched himself from the rock face, pulling the black widow down with him.

"What are you doing?! You'll kill us both!" she screamed.

"Then I would suggest you transform," Dinobot responded calmly, "and save yourself."

In a burst of mad panic, she changed into her robot form and fired a grappling hook at the nearest outcrop of rock. Dinobot felt their descent lessen in speed until the two were left swinging in the wind. Enemies above, craggy rocks below, and no other hand hold in sight.

Blackarachnia heard the protesting whine in her grappling motor and began to cut Dinobot free from her webs. He pulled her into a fierce bear hug to prevent the act. "Let go of me! You're too damned heavy! I can't pull us both up!" Her spare legs flailed in distress as he held on.

Despite the grim circumstances he considered her for a moment. Like Inferno, Blackarachnia had not been a part of their original crew and Dinobot knew very little about her. She had been converted later on this world; a protoform robot that he and Optimus had failed to rescue. No doubt Tarantulas had his hand in her conversion, if her form was any indication. The thought of his treacherous old ally pairing up with this savage beauty brought on a twinge of regret. "I'm sorry," he told her, his voice unlike its usual strained growl.

Blackarachnia faltered in her struggles. "What? What do you-"

His face was mere inches from hers and she thought for an instant that he was going to kiss her (her mind was actually warring with itself whether to accept the act), when she saw his eyes turn green. Before she could react, he fired his lasers at her arm, severing it. He grabbed onto it and let the grappling motor pull him up even as she plummeted to the bottom of the chasm. _"You son of a booooooooot-!"_ she screamed up after him as she fell.

Smiling grimly, Dinobot saw the rock overhang come into view and was about to grab for it when he heard the telltale buzz of an insect's wing beat. Waspinator had flown down and now had him dead in his sights. "Waszpinator will play no more gamez," he sputtered furiously and pulled the trigger on his weapon.

Dinobot found himself falling again, the bottom of the crevasse rushing up to greet him when he heard another volley from Waspinator's gun. _It was just as well,_ he thought the instant his mainframe went off-line.

It wasn't much of a view anyway.

* * *

"Dinobot was a Pred with no class-

Who had bearings that were made out of brass.

In stormy weather,

They both clanged together-

And lightening shot out of his-"

"Shut up Rattrap!" Optimus shouted.

"Aw, c'mon!" the rodent cried indignantly. "That was a good one!" Beside him, Airazor and Cheetor were trying to stifle their laughter. Tigatron, as ever, just looked puzzled with the whole affair. The Nordic tiger had never been one for group associations, preferring the expansive wilds of his range. He was only here because Airazor seemed content to stay, and his devotion to the falcon female was considerable. Even enough to tolerate _this_.

Helping himself to another glass of fermented ethanol, Rattrap jumped up on the control table and said, "Okay, here's a G-rated limerick for all th' kiddies: Ol' Rhinox was quite a self-starter, And was truly a magnificent farter. On the strength of some beans, he turned Megatron green-"

"Rattrap!" Rhinox bellowed.

Muttering to himself, the small Maximal slumped down in the nearest chair and proceeded to sulk.

"Lighten up, you guys," Cheetor said, "This is supposed to be a party!" He hit a button on the console and an old Earth song, "Jailhouse Rock" began to blare from the speakers. Covering his sensitive ears, Tigatron chose this moment to slink away to a quieter corner of the ship. Gathering up Airazor, Cheetor proceeded to drag her around the control room doing a pantomime of the jitterbug.

"I must be crazy to have allowed this," Optimus said under his breath, loud enough for Rhinox's perceptive hearing to catch.

"What's going on? You've been on edge ever since Dinobot left."

"We had a bit of an argument while playing chess."

"Oh yeah? Did he finally lose a game?"

Optimus spared his good friend a sour look and the old rhino chuckled easily. "I wouldn't worry. He leaves, lets off some steam, and then comes back. It's a predictable routine."

"Dinobot is many things, but not predicable," their leader said. "Any sign of the Predacons?"

Rhinox shook his head. "The last sensor sweep came in five minutes ago; the area's clear. It looks like they're all holed up at their base. Relax, Optimus."

"I'll try," he said and stumbled as the large Maximal gave him an affectionate slap on the back. Optimus wondered if the older bot had gotten into some of Rattrap's rotgut. Speaking of which, where had the blasted stuff come from in the first place? He made a mental note to search the base for a swill when the festivities were over.

Rattrap tried to cut in on the dance and he and Cheetor began to squabble. Rhinox rose to his feet to separate the two. Observing the scene with dismay, Optimus spared a longing glance at the monitor wondering if Dinobot hadn't had the right idea all along.

* * *

"Wake him."

The contempt in that bass command reached all the way down to his spark. Dinobot opened one eye just as hands closed around his tail and squeezed. He jumped to his feet and whirled, almost catching one of Waspinator's arms between his sharp teeth.

"Uh, he's awake," Scorponok said uneasily. He was slowly backing away from the cage, trying not to make it look too obvious. His back was still smarting from their last confrontation. Terrorsaur was currently in a repair cycle and the others were standing around licking their wounds. And all that had happened out in the open. Who knew what havoc the raptor could cause now that he was trapped in the close confines of their ship? The scorpion vowed to keep his distance.

"Greetings turncoat," Megatron said brazenly as he stomped over and peered inside the cage. "So good of you to join us."

Dinobot didn't respond but the talon on the instep of his left foot began tapping the floor of his prison in agitation as he regarded his old rival.

Megatron feigned his hurt. "What is this? No witty repartee, my friend? No boastful challenges? I am so deeply wounded, yes. Sincerely. I would at least have expected-"

"You always did talk too much," Dinobot growled and spit in his face. Blackarachnia gasped and the others muttered among themselves nervously, waiting for the reaction to come.

They weren't diappointed. With a roar of anger, Megatron slammed his armored right arm against the cage and sent it tumbling end over end. Scarcely before it came to rest, Dinobot transformed and easily smashed through the damaged bars, standing in a ready pose even as the other Predacons raised their weapons.

"Stand down," Megatron commanded.

Inferno actually looked insulted. "But my_ Queen-!_"

"That's an order!"

Reluctantly, his subordinates complied and the huge Predacon considered the other, visibly trying to calm down. "How easily you goad me," he grumbled. "It's as if the six months have never passed."

"It's a gift," Dinobot shot back.

Megatron nodded slowly. "It's one that's been your undoing since the first day I met you. If not for that insolent mouth, you'd still be my Second."

Watching from the sidelines, Blackarachnia singled out Scorponok and fixed him with a hard look. "What's he saying? I always thought _you_ were Megatron's second-in-command!"

"I am," the gray scorpion said indignantly and then relented, "...at least I _was_ after we crashed on this planet and kicked Dinobot out of the ship. Megatron rewarded me for my loyalty and appointed me as his confidant."

_His lackey, you mean_, she thought coldly. All of this was news to her. On rare times before, when the subject of Dinobot came up, the other Predacons went close-mouthed and evasive to her questions. At first she had thought it out of resentment for his desertion but more and more, she was beginning to believe there was also fear behind that silence. Before her eyes, she watched the mighty Megatron proceed cautiously as he conversed with his former ally. He would not be behaving like that if he didn't recognize Dinobot as some worthy adversary.

She decided to study their interaction closely.

"Nothing has changed, Megatron," Dinobot said stiffly. "I still think you're an idiot-"

"How DARE you!" the huge Tyrannosaurus Rex bellowed. "You-"

"YOU made us steal the golden disk!" Dinobot shouted back, pointing at him. "YOU crashed us on this planet! All of the failures that followed rest on YOUR shoulders alone. If you hadn't exiled me from your ranks there never would have been any Beast Wars. Together, we would have conquered the Maximals within a _day!"_

There was muted undercurrent of agreement among several of the Predacons watching them. Megatron noted this and his eyes narrowed to a livid squint. "Alas, you speak the truth," he said in a more humble tone. "I underestimated you, yes. I never figured you would have brazenly joined the Maximals to fight against _us_."

"As usual, you figured wrong."

He was back to nodding again. "I won't make that mistake twice, no." He held out his left hand, "Join with us again, Dinobot. Return to your true nature. Become a Predacon again."

Dinobot didn't budge.

Megatron decided to sweeten the deal. "Consider all past actions forgiven. There will be no punishment, no resentment. You can return to my side as my Second-"

"_What?!"_ Scorponok bawled before Tarantulas managed to cover his mouth.

"-and together we'll finish the Maximals once and for all," the huge Predacon continued as if he had never been interrupted. "What do you say?"

_Face facts, Dinobot, you couldn't go back to being a Predacon even if you wanted to, _Optimus whispered in the back of Dinobot's mind, making him wince. For a split second he was tempted to give in just to prove the Maximal wrong but realized there was more at stake here than hurt feelings. If the offer had been extended shortly after he had switched sides, he might have accepted it then. But too many things have changed since.

Most importantly, his loyalties. They were no longer with Megatron.

"Eat slag," he hissed and knocked Megatron backwards with his lasers. He pulled up his shield in time to defend himself against the volley of missiles and laser fire from the other Predacons as they defended their leader. That action only served to enrage him further. Megatron always let his weaker associates serve as cannon fodder before he deigned to get his hands dirty with combat. Dinobot vowed that this time, his old commander was going to have to put up a fight.

Megatron was just scrambling to his feet when Dinobot plowed into him, throwing them both off of the deck and landing one level below. Scorponok, Blackarachnia, and Waspinator had no choice to stop firing for fear of hitting their leader but Inferno was still blasting away. "Protect the Royalty! Protect him at all costs!" he raved madly. Two of his munitions hit the struts holding up the grating of the second level, and it started to give away with a rebelling screech of ruined metal.

"Stop firing you fool!" Megatron thundered, throwing his heavier right arm around in a clumsy roundhouse punch. He was the stronger one of the two but his mass slowed him down considerably. Dinobot ducked and threw a fist up into the larger bot's stomach, doubling him over. He was about to deliver a kick when the floor collapsed beneath them.

Dinobot sank his claws into the grating as it swung down. He derived a flash of bitter pleasure as Megatron fell past him but suddenly screamed when the dinosaur head that the Predacon wore on his right arm latched onto his left thigh just above the knee joint.

They struggled precariously above the pool of magma that the Darkside had landed into six months before. Internal dampers kept the ship from sinking any deeper but its bottom was ruined from the molten flows. None of the Predacons had ever gotten around to erecting barriers to prevent a haphazard slip or fall. They all enjoyed the heat.

Megatron could feel that blasted heat in the soles of his feet as he peddled helplessly less than ten feet above the lava. He glared up at Dinobot and commanded, "Pull us both up! Right now!"

Dinobot's response was a direct kick to the head that was clamped onto him. The serrated teeth were cutting into his servos and he could feel his hip joint beginning to pull free from its socket. Megatron wasn't exactly a lightweight. He kicked down a second time and then a third-

The jaws loosened, slipped down his leg, and then battened down again with crushing force. Servo fluids began to flow freely from the gashes. Dinobot almost lost his grip from the wave of agony before he dampened down his sensors.

Megatron was actually grinning up at him. "It appears we have a stalemate, old comrade."

"It's not even close," Dinobot assured him.

He let go.

* * *

_End of Part One_


	2. Part Two

A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION - Part Two of Two

* * *

"Optimus?"

The Maximal turned and saw Tigatron come up beside him. "There you are. I was beginning to think that you'd left the party."

"Tempting, but no," the tiger sighed making the larger bot laugh. He had been sitting quietly on the roof of the Axelon relishing the calmness of the night when he noticed that he was no longer alone. Below, in the control room, the anniversary celebration was just getting into high gear. Rhinox had managed to rewire some old karaoke machine and Cheetor was trying to keep up with the song "Thriller". Before, both Rattrap and Airazor had managed to mangle the song "Ebony and Ivory". It wasn't a sight that one saw every day. Or wanted to.

Optimus took his leave once the little cheetah began moonwalking across the control table. Wherever Rattrap had managed to squirrel away his cheap booze, it seemed to be a never-ending supply and right now the others were feeling no pain. Optimus figured at least one of them should be sober, just in case... "See anything interesting?"

"A meteor or two," Tigatron said, "but I assume you're speaking of something that's a greater threat?"

"Something like that."

"I haven't seen any Predacons either. They're quiet tonight."

"...Yes," the large silverback gorilla muttered, his face drawn in thought. "No sign of Dinobot either?"

"No."

"He's not answering my hails. I don't know if he's ignoring me or if he's just out of range."

Tigatron looked up at him with concern. "Why would he ignore you?"

After a moment's hesitation, Optimus told his friend of the discussion he'd had with Dinobot earlier this afternoon. Talking with Tigatron came very easily for him, in some ways it was even easier than conversing with Rhinox. The tiger was a new addition to their ranks, assimilated shortly after their crash here, but he had an old soul and spoke with a wisdom that went far beyond his years.

When the explanation was finished, Tigatron mulled the information over for a long time, considering it, before finally speaking out loud; "If Cybertron manages to rescue us, you can be assured that Dinobot will not be here on his own."

"Well, there IS the alien threat-"

"That is not what I mean."

Optimus considered him in the dark, his eyes glowing slightly in the poor light. "You would stay behind, too?" he asked quietly.

His friend passed him one silent nod. "And possibly Airazor, too. We were born here, for lack of a better word. Our sparks are tied to this world and we along with it. I feel my aversion to technology every time I'm surrounded by four walls. I belong to the wilds of this planet. Not to Cybertron. No doubt Dinobot feels the same, albeit for other reasons. He will not be alone here."

Optimus smiled sadly even as he felt his interior circuits tighten with remorse. "I know that there's nothing I can say to make you change your mind-"

"No," came the expected response.

"-So I can only support your decision, with reservations. It just wouldn't be the same without you, though. I want you to know that."

Tigatron passed him a wise smile. "Let us wait until that moment comes to express our regrets. We might be here for awhile yet."

A thought just occurred to Optimus. "...Long enough to reach a one-year milestone?"

From below came a sudden loud _Bang!_ followed by some laughter. "Awright! Who wants t' see a lightshow?" Rattrap bawled. That was followed by the rapid clatter of firecrackers.

"Possibly, although I don't believe that the ship will survive that long," the tiger remarked in a wry tone.

_More illegal contraband..._ the frustrated Maximal commander stamped over to the hatch opening and leaned directly over the hole as he shouted down at his crew: "For the sake of Cybertron, use your head! Do that outside of the blasted ship before you-"

There was another piercing _Bang!_ and a flash of white light and Optimus' head and shoulders where lost in a cloud of blue-tinged smoke. When he staggered back, his entire face was black with gunpowder. He blinked numbly twice, his eyes brilliant white against the backdrop, and he suddenly bared his teeth in a fearsome grimace. "RATTRAP!"

"...uh oh," came Rattrap's mumbled comment.

Standing placidly off to the side, Tigatron watched their leader drop through the hatch. There was silence for a few seconds then wild laughter.

"Knock it off! It's NOT funny!" came the response. "You could have taken my eye out-"

"Oh, fer bootin' up cold! Would you quit you're bellyaching, already?" Rattrap shot back. "Ya wouldn't know what fun wuz if it bit ya on the -!"

Rhinox snapped, "Shut up-" this was interrupted by an enormous belch, "-Rattap!" followed by; "He doesn't mean that, Optimus. He's just-"

"I do, too! I-" the rodent's words became unintelligible bursts of sound as someone muzzled him.

Tigatron sighed and returned his silent, contemplative gaze back to the night sky while the bickering below went on.

And on.

* * *

Core consciousness switched on with brutal, crushing awareness. All sensors came suddenly online at once, relaying conflicting reports that almost crashed Dinobot's mainframe. Receptors were out of sync transforming the input into a maelstrom of paradoxical commands, sickening colors, and deafening sounds. Every pivot point to his frame throbbed in screeching complaint to the sudden jolt of the platform rising from the depths of the Predacon regeneration chamber. _It was too soon-!_ He drew in a breath for protest and it turned into an agonized bellow.

An arm closed over his mouth, stifling the cries and he was roughly pulled down from the platform and dragged into a shallow alcove behind the regeneration chamber. He thrashed briefly before everything went dark and he went with it willingly; anything to be spared the agony of an interrupted repair.

"Wake up." Something slapped across his face, and it wasn't a gentle tap either. It created a deafening echo in his head as the blow reverberated through his helmet. It happened again, and then a third time before he was capable of bringing up one heavy arm to ward off the blows. His sensors were starting to prioritize themselves and began relaying information in a manner he could interpret. A status report finally swam up to the surface: He was repaired but barely, and at only about half power. Reserves were nil. All of his weapons were off line.

Dinobot sat up with a groan of protest and rubbed his right shoulder, pleased to see his arm once more attached to its socket. When he had let go of the metal grate, Inferno had tackled Megatron before they could both fall into the lava. With one leg crushed, the soldier hadn't been able to defend himself against his irate former commander for long. He'd been little more than scrap by the time Megatron was through with him and he remembered more of the damage he received than he'd like to admit. He peered up at the smooth wall of the CR chamber beside him and then over to the silent figure crouched near him. "Why did you pull me out?"

"I want to talk to you," Blackarachnia said in a low voice.

"About what?"

The black widow studied him, the tip of one sleek claw rubbing slowly along her cheek. "I've read your dossier. Impressive military service, many commendations. You were considered a hero among your rank. A true Predacon."

Dinobot said nothing.

"Yet, practically the minute you crashed here you went running to the Maximals. I want to know why."

"I owe you no explanation."

A claw flashed out and encircled his neck. "You owe me your life!" she corrected him. "Megatron plans on coming back when your repair cycle is finished and tear you to pieces again. He intends to do that over and over until you submit. Or die. One way or the other, he'll be getting what he wants."

"Which is?"

She looked at him as if he were as stupid as Scorpinox. "To upset the balance of power, idiot! We'll outnumber the Maximals and finish them once and for all."

Dinobot was trying to figure out her motives and having a rough time of it; this wasn't like dealing with a male Predacon. He decided to go along with her request; after all, he really didn't have any other options in his present condition. He swatted her arm aside and explained: "We had no reason to be stranded on this miserable planet. Had Megatron listened to me, we could have blown the Maximals out of orbit and returned home, now look at us." He swept an arm to the surroundings around them but the gesture suggested a thing that went beyond the room or even the ship. It assessed their current hopeless situation perfectly; stranded on an alien world, lost in the time stream with no possible way to return to their own space. "I originally went to the Maximals with the intention of overthrowing their leader and taking command of them. I could not defeat Megatron on my own, I required reinforcements."

"Optimus Primal is still in command," she noted, stating the obvious.

Glowering at her he admitted reluctantly, "Maximals do not follow authority as Predacons do. Megatron relies on fear and intimidation to ensure loyalty among his subordinates. Among the Maximals, Optimus inspires trust. The others would never have followed me even if I had bested him in fair combat."

Blackarachnia read between the lines. "So, now you're stuck with them."

"That is a fair assessment of the situation," Dinobot said, adding a sigh he was unable to submerge. At her puzzled look, he felt compelled to add; "I do not enjoy being considered a traitor by my peers, nor do I enjoy allying myself with the enemy. But what Megatron is doing on this world is wrong. He has become obsessed with victory and battle. He has become insane and must be stopped at all costs."

While she thought over what he had said, he got slowly to his feet. It was a painful reminder of the previous severity of the damage he'd received. Pistons and struts accepted his weight grudgingly and he extended an arm to the wall and leaned heavily on it for support, waiting to see whether his legs would support or abandon him. Not for the first time he wondered if he was going to get out of this situation with his hide intact.

Blackarachnia watched his struggles with a marked lack of compassion. "I've tried to undermine Megatron on a few occasions."

"Indeed," came the sarcastic response.

Ignoring the contempt, she continued, "It's like you said, the others are terrified of him. Only Tarantulas seems to have his own agenda. The rest... aren't too bright. I'm pretty much on my own."

Dinobot added a weary nod in silent agreement. Her description had assessed his own situation perfectly until he had gone over to the Maximal side out of desperation. It was not a thing he was proud of, he would never be comfortable with the choice but it had been the only solution at the time.

She said, "It took a lot of courage to do what you did, knowing Megatron would take it personally."

"I do not fear Megatron," he snarled, feeling that familiar rage swamp him. It dulled the ache in his joints, anyway.

"No, I saw for myself that you don't," she muttered, considering him for a moment. She moved in closer and ran the tip one claw suggestively across his broad chest. He didn't respond to the gesture and her respect for him moved up a notch. "It's a shame you left before I had the chance to know you. We would have made a good team. Possibly even taken over the Predacons ourselves..."

A glimmer of regret and greed passed by on his face before he submerged the old ambitions with difficulty. "I have made my choice, Blackarachnia," was all he could say.

As if she hadn't heard him, she continued in a low voice, "It's a lonely struggle. Waiting in the shadows for that one chance to strike and knowing the penalty if that plan fails. I hate Megatron... but I'm scared of him, too."

While she appeared to have let her guards down, he asked in a voice very different than his usual rough growl, "Why did you save me?"

She stared up at him, at a rare loss for words. She had studied his personal files thoroughly and knew that he would not be manipulated as she was accustomed to doing to the others. Dinobot was a decorated military soldier, a master of weapons and hand-to-hand combat, and a skilled strategist. The only one bot on this planet with more years of experience was Megatron himself. It was the chief reason why they were such rivals.

After much deliberation, she decided that telling the truth was her best approach but it was not something that came easily to her. Dropping the manipulative facade that had become her second nature was more difficult then she would ever have thought. "We're two sides of the same coin, you and me. Our methods are different but we both want the same thing: To overthrow Megatron. I saved you because the Maximals wouldn't last long without you. And what's the sense in ruling a world if there's no one else to conquer?"

"You are a true Predacon," Dinobot said in a neutral tone. He didn't mean it as a compliment but it wasn't meant as an insult either. He was just stating clear fact.

Whatever her origins, it was clear what she had become and she took his words as an unintentional praise, pressing herself closer to him. "So are you," she said, running the tip of her claw across his hip and lingering at the bone armor protuberance at his crotch. "Whatever your motivations for staying with the Maximals, I can imagine what you're planning."

"Is that a fact," he countered.

She nodded. "You're biding your time and gaining their trust before you take control. I've seen you in battle among them. They work easily with you now. Perhaps an accident involving Optimus Primal will happen soon?"

"Perhaps," Dinobot said vaguely, refusing to be baited with her suspicions. He managed to maintain his stolid indifference even has her touch become more brazen. That degree of self-control impressed her and she flashed him a grin that contained absolutely no humor. It looked hungry. "You may not be an arachnid but I consider you my equal. It is an... attractive realization."

"What do you want?" he asked her, impatience had crept into his voice at last.

"I saved your life," she reminded him, running her claw back and forth across his stomach in a deliberate gesture. "But it's not your life I want..."

His stern visage dissolved when he finally understood her true objective. It actually came as a relief. With all of his previous doubts, he needed this diversion and would have been unable to turn it down even if he had wanted to, aching joints and all. He picked her up effortlessly and pressed her back against the alcove wall. Her legs immediately scissored themselves behind his back in expectation.

When he bent his head to kiss her, she pulled back and raised a claw in protest. "No," she hissed, "I won't hard drive a Maximal."

"All right," he relented and his Predacon insignia, so long submerged, appeared on the left mouth guard of his helmet as if it belonged there.

"Much better," she purred. This time when he kissed her, the concerns of alliances, enemies, and the Beast Wars were conveniently shelved until they both got precisely what they wanted.

* * *

Right on clockwork, Megatron appeared beside the regeneration chamber just as the repair cycle finished and the platform began to rise automatically. His fingers were twitching with the urgency of ripping his traitorous former subordinate's body to pieces again. _Try to kill him, will he? Shame him in front of the other Predacons? No. _This time he intended to pull off all of Dinobot's armor segments one by one as he worked his way deeper into the turncoat's internals. If he managed to get a hold of that elusive spark and extinguish it, so much the better. There was a lesson to be learned here, yes, one he wanted to hammer home to those who were still loyal to him.

You don't mess with the Mighty Megatron. _Ever._

The platform lifted out of the heavy fog of the circular chamber but it wasn't Dinobot lying in the dais. There was a twitching, segmented green body flailing around in distress. Legs and wings were scattered around as if someone had plucked him. "Wazpinator... hatez... lizard bot!" he whined in a feeble drone.

Megatron slammed his fist down on the control panel and the platform dropped into the chamber with a crash, smothering the insect's pained whimpers. "I don't believe it," the huge Predacon said hoarsely, shaking his head. He drew in breath and gave voice to a roar that shuddered the Darkside right down to its ruined supports.

Several corridors away, Tarantulas came across Blackarachnia who was eying the ceiling with concern as Megatron's outraged screams reverberated throughout the ship. The seasoned arachnid viewed her unease and put two and two together quickly. "You helped Dinobot escape."

She narrowed her eyes at him and sneered, "You'd never be able to prove it."

Examining her lithe body with a single greedy eye, Tarantulas considered his companion shrewdly, trying to figure out her motives. Was it possible that she had wanted to learn some Predacon strategies from a former teammate? Had Dinobot told her things that he, himself, didn't know? That was intolerable! He had to find out what she knew! In his most nauseating drawl, he asked sweetly, "So tell me, my dear, did he satisfy your curiosity?"

Blackarachnia stared at him for a minute and then sashayed over and ran one teasing claw lightly across his cheek before pulling it back. The mere touch of her was enough to start him drooling. When she bent her head near his, he began to tremble all over, swallowing in hopeful anticipation.

"Twice," she whispered and turned away to walk down the corridor without so much as a backwards glance.

Tarantulas' shaking ceased and realization dawned when he finally understood precisely what she was implying. His visor, normally yellow, went crimson with rage.

"_Dinobot!_" he screeched.

* * *

It was almost dawn by the time Dinobot managed to limp his aching carcass back to the Maximal ship. He tried to remember the last time he had been this glad to see the old, dented eyesore and just couldn't seem to do it.

"Sentinel, stand down," he rasped and the defense shield around the ship recognized his voice and dropped the barrier long enough for him to enter the perimeter. As the lift to the ship descended, he transformed for the last time and staggered against one of the landing struts. He was completely exhausted, and it wasn't wholly from the long distance he'd traveled to return here either. True to her Black Widow nature, he'd been fortunate to escape Blackarachnia's grasp with his life.

Still, he couldn't quite submerge a satisfied smirk at the memory...

He was too preoccupied with the thought of returning to his quarters for some much needed downtime to even give any thought of the Maximal anniversary party. When the lift brought him up to the control room, he looked around in disbelief thinking that he had missed a battle. Streamers hung from the ramparts and lights overhead, the air was heavy with acrid smoke, there were large, circular colored orbs covering the floor (his foot came down on one of the balloons and he almost jumped when it exploded), and there were bodies scattered about amid the rest of the debris. Rattrap was slumped in the corner beside the regeneration chamber, and Cheetor was nearby in his cheetah form, curled into a yellow ball. Both were snoring.

"What in the inferno...?" he mused, casting an incredulous eye to the only bot in the room that still seemed conscious.

Optimus was sitting at the control table playing a game of solitaire. "You missed one heck of a party," he said as he laid down cards. "Tigatron had to carry Airazor home and Rhinox got the munchies and nearly ate all of our supplies. He passed out in the refrigerator."

"Madness," was all Dinobot had to say of it. He stared at the Maximal curiously, shelving his fatigue long enough to ask, "You were... waiting for me?"

"The Predacons were unusually quite tonight," the gorilla commented instead. He fixed the large bot with a knowing eye, "Your doing?"

Dinobot said nothing.

"You look like slag."

The deadlock between them lasted perhaps a few seconds before Dinobot broke off the contact and sat down into the nearest chair, almost falling into it. It was answer enough and Optimus nodded slowly to himself. "Well, whatever the case at least you're back home in one piece," he said, the tension in his body easing at long last.

"Home..." Dinobot mused, looking around at the mess. "...Yes, I suppose so." His large shoulders slumped in surrender.

His slight smile broadening, the gorilla was relieved to see that the conflict between them appeared to have resolved itself. Rhinox had been right after all. The former Predacon had vented his anger (precisely how, Optimus didn't want to know the details), and now was as calm and approachable as he would ever be. "You should have stayed, you know. This party wouldn't have even been possible if you hadn't come over to our side in the very beginning. I think even Rattrap realizes that much, which is why he rides you as much as he does. When I think about what could have happened –"

Tuning out the Maximal's sermonizing as he usually did, Dinobot noticed a glass nearby and took an experimental sniff of the drink. He was about to put it back down and then sniffed it again with interest. "This is Afterburn!"

"What is that?"

"Predacon liquor."

His friend was shaking his head in dismay. "Rattrap..." he muttered. "He has a habit of going to intergalactic black markets and buying banned contraband. He must have squirreled away a few bottles before we left Cybertron."

Only paying him half-attention, the larger bot was swirling the liquid around as he commented, "So named for the after effects it causes the next day. It's a wretched, foul-tasting beverage. Highly toxic. Lethal-" he downed the contents of the glass in one gulp.

"Well... that's just _prime_," Optimus murmured, shuffling the cards uneasily. He was coming to terms with the realization that perhaps dealing with Rattrap under the influence of a banned intoxicant wasn't going to be his worst of his troubles.

It was dealing with a drunk Dinobot.

"It's alright," the former Predacon surprised him by saying. "I'm immune to the beverage."

"And them?" Optimus cocked a thumb over at Rattrap and Cheetor.

"Don't expect much out of them on this day." There was a trace of amusement on Dinobot's face when he added, "Or the next."

Optimus stared at him for a moment and then burst into peals of loud laughter. Dinobot watched him with a half-smile on his face and then got slowly to his feet, rubbing the base of his spine and yawning. "I'm retiring to my quarters," he announced and started for the corridor.

"Just a minute," Optimus said when his laughter had died down into muted snickers. "I want to show you another Maximal game-"

"Optimus, there is no diversion in your entire database worth delaying my sleep-"

"Trust me, you'll like this one," Optimus said with a grin. He picked up a marker and explained the simple rules. It was something that had occurred to him as he'd been going slowly off his rocker ever since the party had swung into high gear. _So, he didn't know what fun was, eh?_ He had a surprise or two up his sleeve yet.

As expected, Dinobot was intrigued.

* * *

It felt like someone had poured lava directly into his internals.

Grabbing his midriff, Rattrap sat up and gave voice to a belch that shook him right down to his toes. The gas singed his throat and he was certain that he actually saw sparks dance in the air before they winked out of sight. He had to squint to focus on his surroundings and his net core ached fiercely. Internal diagnostics assured him that he was all right but he thought that they might be tampered by whatever the slag was wrong with him. It could have been something he ate; Rhinox had been cooking some pretty weird concoctions down in the kitchen before he'd passed out. More likely it was the ethanol he had stashed in his quarters. The merchant from the Cybertron outer core market he had bought the containers from had assured him that it was the most potent Maximal booze available. Rattrap should have known better than to trust the word of a thief. Being one himself, and all...

He burped again, wincing, and this time developed the hiccups. It took him some time to quash the glitch and he got to his feet with difficulty. He bent briefly double, thinking he was going to throw up, and then looked down in confusion.

It looked like he had writing on his legs. _What the slag-?_

He held out his arms and saw the same markings and then whirled to look at his reflection in the regeneration chamber. "Aw, I don't slaggin' believe it!" he cried in dismay. He identified Dinobot's crisp, dramatic slashes right off the bat. "That slimy, no-good, miserable, backstabbing Pred-!"

But he also recognized the other penmanship with shock. He could never have guessed that the Boss Monkey would have the bearings to pull such a stunt. Apparently, ol' chopper-face was wearing off on him, and that _wasn't_ a good thing. It looked like his days of stomping on his commander's toes without fear of reprisal had finally come to an end...

"Optimus, you son of a-" he slumped back down to the floor before he could get the last word out.

His entire body, from the tip of his skull right down to his feet was covered in tic-tac-toe games written in heavy black marker. He was covered in X's and O's across his face, chest, back, and everywhere else.

As it turned out, Dinobot liked this game much better than chess.

* * *

The End 


End file.
